Wilfred Scawen Blunt, by Earl of Lytton

[p027] Wilfrid Scawen Blunt. By The Earl of Lytton. Macdonald, 30s. In the year 1922 there died a man who, for the greater part of his 82 years of life, had been a fearless, outspoken and courageous opponent of Queen Victoria’s Empire, and the friend and supporter of many leaders of nationalist causes. His name was Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and, his fero- cious anti-imperialism apart, he was in every respect an unmitigated Tory. -To this day his commentaries and prophecies on foreign affairs, part- icularly on Far and Middle-Eastern affairs, have the embarrassing quality of relevance. His ideas on _ the rightful yearnings for self-determina- tion of subject nations—many of which he regarded as having cultures and traditions not only older than our own but also, in some cases, rather superior to them—are still such as might cause a riot at a Tory Conference, and perhaps even at a Labour one. Blunt was born in 1840 and married Byron’s grand-daughter in 1869. He was a ‘fox-hunting, land- owning, wealthy aristocrat . . . man of letters . . . poet and publicist’; a diplomat of 10 years’ standing; a breeder of fine horses; also that rare spirit; a’ gentleman whose views were quite as independent as his income. In short, something of a megalo- maniac but one of high principles (except, perhaps, in a matter of sex) and great abilities. His story is inevitably a denunciation of British mendacity—as well as that of other European powers—perpet- rated during his lifetime in the Middle and Far East, not to. mention in places nearer home (in 1887 his part in the Irish Home Rule troubles of the day earned him a two months’ _ sentence in Galway Gaol, one of his prosecutors being no less than the redoubtable Edward Carson). Often he appears as a reactionary bombar- dier with the weapon of revolution, firing heavy broadsides at Liberal governments for the illiberality of their policies. And when he was not fighting governments he was fighting members of his family. As Bernard Shaw observed, the English are always ready to recognize a man of genius, provided that he is pointed out to them. The Earl of Lytton points his finger unequivocally in the direction of Blunt and, though one may suspect the natural bias of a grandson, his book reveals Blunt as an outstanding personality. His story is not merely well told; it was worth telling. , _ RM. - ments in political thought 105 Theological niceties